Primetime soaps on DVD

[Willie Oleson]

Looking at the Amazon listing, there’s a seasons 1 - 3 box and a seasons 4 - 7 box inside.

This seems to be the standard packaging nowadays. My THE BIG VALLEY and THE AVENGERS box sets are like that, and the US DYNASTY box set too (except that I put those discs in the UK releases with the glossy slipcases, and because the US release has the volumes this proved to be quite a puzzle).
However, in case of a defect these mega DVD boxes are very difficult if not impossible to replace. I can easily get the ones designed for 6 or 8 DVDs.
Furthermore, despite the volume of the box, the DVDs tend to be stacked up, usually in pairs of two or three. Not a fan of this.

Not that the infuriating inconsistency of the individual box set collection was such a great option.

But at that time it was the only way to get all of MP on DVD.

I wonder how much of the original music will be gone

I honestly don't remember any of it. Surely you don't mean the original intro theme?

 

[Carrie Fairchild]

I honestly don't remember any of it. Surely you don't mean the original intro theme?

I think it may have been more common in the earlier seasons. I’ve a vague recollection of Wind of Change by Scorpions playing during a campfire scene on the beach with Amanda & Billy.

 

[Willie Oleson]

Wind of Change by Scorpions playing during a campfire

Oh please, change it!

 

[Seaviewer]

the DVDs tend to be stacked up, usually in pairs of two or three. Not a fan of this.

I have to say I'm having a great deal of trouble with the Dallas discs which are packaged like this, but at least when I do get them out the one-sided discs actually play (so far anyway) unlike the two-sided ones.

 

[tommie]

I think it may have been more common in the earlier seasons. I’ve a vague recollection of Wind of Change by Scorpions playing during a campfire scene on the beach with Amanda & Billy.

Everything was changed, including cutting out some of the later seasons musical performances. I very much doubt they'll have fixed it for this release as it seems relatively cheap - I know when they finally restored the music on Northern Exposure the price shot up for those releases.

To be fair, I don't think Melrose Place had an absolutely iconic scene with music so it isn't as affected (think Brenda and Dylan breaking up with Losing My Religion playing), but it still bugs me. I really wish we would eventually get these shows released as they originally aired.

 

[wickedmiranda]

To be fair, I don't think Melrose Place had an absolutely iconic scene with music so it isn't as affected (think Brenda and Dylan breaking up with Losing My Religion playing)

The scene where Sydney throws the drink in Lauren's face doesn't feel the same without "Show Me Love" by Robyn S playing in the background but yeah for me more than the music is the image quality. season 1 especially looks terrible, muddy and brown on Paramount + and the old DVDs have all these old interlacing artefacts. Melrose really needs a full HD remaster (preferably with the missing music scenes/old music or at least more 90s sounding replacements)

 

[Mel O'Drama]

there’s a seasons 1 - 3 box and a seasons 4 - 7 box inside.

It’ll be interesting to see what music (if any) makes it to this box set because I think it was all replaced in previous releases.

All the bonus features in the 2019 sets look identical to what came previously in the individual season sets, so I'd assume both the 2019 set and the upcoming 2022 set are identical in content to all previous releases, right down to the muzak which replaced the hits in the episodes.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

To be fair, I don't think Melrose Place had an absolutely iconic scene with music so it isn't as affected (

If memory serves, there's a Season One or Two scene where Jo and Jake discuss Elvis as one of his songs plays in the background. The dialogue still featured on the DVD but the song was changed to some session singer performing a completely different song.

The scene where Sydney throws the drink in Lauren's face doesn't feel the same without "Show Me Love" by Robyn S

There are a few of these moments for me. Big Mountain's Baby I Love Your Way segueing to Michael and Kimberly's daytime sex session, right before she drugs him springs to mind. And there was also Baby I Can't Please You playing in Shooters (I think it's the scene where Jane's Australian boyfriend has Syd on the pool table, but whichever scene, it's one of those moments that just feels wrong with the different music).

 

[tommie]

Melrose really needs a full HD remaster (preferably with the missing music scenes/old music or at least more 90s sounding replacements)

I think this is the sticking point to me - I don't think the music being replaced would necessarily have to be as bad if they just took their time to find songs that would actually work for the time period. I don't think it would have to be that hard even - there has be a billion of unknown club hits / small indie rock bands of that era that would have suitable replacements. Even when they use the odd 60s song there must be better options than the elevator music they went with - I don't think an artist who had a #39 Dance/Club Airplay hit in 1993 would refuse the opportunity to get a small payment for being featured on the DVDs as an example.

There's a scene in 90210 when Dylan is turning on the jukebox - I don't even remember what song originally played, but they replaced it with some really random song that makes no sense in the context.

 

[Seaviewer]

There's a scene in 90210 when Dylan is turning on the jukebox - I don't even remember what song originally played, but they replaced it with some really random song that makes no sense in the context.

Was that "Did You Ever Have to Make Up your Mind?"? I remember him playing that over and over when he had to choose between Brenda and Kelly.

 

[TaranofPrydain]

Looking at the Amazon listing, there’s a seasons 1 - 3 box and a seasons 4 - 7 box inside.

I had forgotten about it being the 30th anniversary this year. It’ll be interesting to see what music (if any) makes it to this box set because I think it was all replaced in previous releases.

It will likely all be replaced. Paramount is not usually likely to keep original music. i remember being very peeved by the changed music on the Beverly Hills 90210 discs, which all felt like mid 2000s music, hardly right for an early 90s setting. I was particularly angry that they switched this beautiful song in the pilot (still retained on syndicated prints and on Hulu, when it was there) for some soulless techno beat.

 

[tommie]

I don't usually comment on music replacement - but watching Melrose Place on Pluto TV the episode where Alison and Billy sleep together came up and wow - the song they put in there is HORRIBLE. Wow.